Elevator mechanism



June 6, 1961 E. A. ANDERSON ErAL 2,987,202

ELEVATOR MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 27, 1959 l l l Illu a@ -wlmllll 1| IIIA JVENToRs BY Mama June 6, 1961 Filed March 27, 1959 E. A. ANDERSON ETAL ELEVATOR MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 6, 1961 vE. A. ANDERSON ETAL 2,987,202

ELEVATOR MECHANISM Filed March 27, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent O Ohio Filed Mar. 27, 1959, Ser. No. 802,406 13 Claims. (Cl. 214-315) This invention relates to elevator mechanism for lifting, or lifting and dumping, material or bodies being handled or conveyed.

An object of this invention is to provide mechanism of this kind which is of a simple and practical construction and which will perform its intended function in an efticient and reliable manner with minimum required attention and effort on the part of the person using the mechanism.

Another object is to provide novel elevator mechanism having a holder or bucket adapted to receive the material or body to be handled and being swingable to a dumping position, and force applying means for causing such swinging of the bucket and comprising chain means connected between the bucket and an anchor means and being of a length to assume a taut condition in response to predetermined movement of the bucket in the lifting direction, the chain means having a self-piling capability for storage thereof in a space of limited area when the bucket is lowered.

Still another object is to provide novel elevator mechanism comprising support means having roller means thereon, and a lift bucket adapted to receive a body or container and having a lower end co-operable with the support means so that, when the bucket is in a loading position, the roller means receives the body or container thereon to facilitate movement thereof into the bucket.

Additionally, this invention provides an elevator lift unit comprising a carriage and a bucket pivotally mounted therein for swinging from an upright relation to an inverted dumping position, and novel means for causing the return and positioning of the bucket in the upright relation.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent in the following detailed description and in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which,

FIG.`1 is a side view of elevator mechanism embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is a larger-scale vertical section taken through the mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a partial front elevation of the mechanism and showing the lift unit in the loading position;

FIG. 4 is a transverse section taken through the frame structure and lift unit as indicated by section line 4 4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 isa transverse section taken on section line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

-FIG. 6 is a partial vertical section taken as indicated by section line 6--6 of FIGS. 2 and 4;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation showing the bucket in a detached relation and with portions of the lower end thereof in section; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary front elevation of the lower end portion of the bucket.

The accompanying drawings show one practical embodiment of the novel elevator mechanism 10 which comprises in general a frame structure 11 providing a guideway 12, and a lift unit 13 movable in such guideway for lifting, or lifting and dumping, articles or material desired to be conveyed or handled. The lift unit 13 comprises a carriage 14 and a holder or bucket 15 pivotally supported by the carriage for swinging from an upright posi- Patented June 6, 1961 ice tion 15a shown in full lines in the drawings to a tipped e or inverted dumping position 15b shown in phantom lines in Fig. l.

The elevator mechanism -10 also includes a conventional electric motor hoist device 16 suitably mounted on the upper portion of the frame structure 1-1 and operably connected with the carriage of the lift unit ,13, as by means of a flexible member or strand 17, for applying a lifting force to such carriage. The flexible member -17 is in the form of a cable or chain and extends around a lifting drum or sheave forming a part of the hoist device 16.

The elevator mechanism 10 is shown in the drawings as being used in conjunction with a machine 18, which can be any one of a number of different forms of fabricating machines, and includes an elevated hopper 19 for receiving the dumped material from the bucket 15 and feeding such material to the machine 18.

The frame structure 11 comprises a base 21 adapted to stand on a floor 22 and to be secured to the latter as by means of anchor bolts 23, and a pair of upright frame members `24 and 25 attached to such base and rising thereabove. The frame members 24 and 25 are in the form of structural members or columns having channel recesses in their adjacent or inner sides which provide upright guide passages 27 and 28 at opposite sides of the guideway 12. The frame structure 11 is provided at the top thereof with traverse connecting means 29 which connects the upper ends of the frame members 24 and 25 and to which the hoist device 16 is attached as by means of suitable U-shaped clamping bolts 30.

The carriage 14 of the lift unit 13 comprises side members 32 and 33 in the form of counterweights slidable in the guide passages 27 and 28 and a cross bar 34 connected to the upper ends of the side members 32 and 33 by rods 35. The lower end of the flexible member 17 is suitably attached to the cross bar 34. The side members 32 and 33 are provided with bearing elements, in this case bearing recesses lor sockets 36 and 37, disposed in a laterally aligned relation on a common traverse pivot axis 38.

The holder or bucket 15 comprises a walled structure providing an enclosure space 40 of a size and shape to accommodate the material or bodies desired to be lifted or handled. The bucket 15 is here shown as having upright parallel side walls 41 and 42 and an upright rear wall 43 connecting such side walls. The bucket is open at the top thereof, and is preferably open at the front side thereof to provide an entry opening 44 through which the container or body can be readily introduced into the enclosure space 40.

In the hoist mechanism y10 here illustrated, the material being lifted or handled is shown as being a hollow body having the form of a can or keg 45 adapted to contain a quantity of material or articles in bulk form. The container 45 has a top opening 46 through which the material is discharged when the bucket 15 is swung to its phantom-line dumping position 15b shown in PIG. l.

'I'he bottom portion of the bucket 15 is formed by a group of vertically-edgewise-disposed parallel bars 49 extending across the lower end of the enclosure space 40 and has slots or spaces 50 therein between the adjacent bars. The ends of the bars 49 are secured, as by means of welding, to the side walls 41 and 42 of the bucket 15 so that the bars provide a grating-type of iloor means for the enclosure space 40 and whose intervening spaces 50 are in communication with such enclosure space for a purpose to be explained hereinafter.

'The lower edges 51 of the bars 49 lie in a horizontal plane and, when the bucket 15 is in its upright position 15a and is at the loading station adjacent the base 21 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings, these lower edges rest on the support ,surface or iioor l22. The bars 49 are of a progressively varying vertical width and are disposed, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, with the narrowest b ar V49a at the rear of the bucket and the widest bar 49b adjacent the front of thebucket. When thebars 49 are of progressively varying widths and are disposed in the relation just mentioned, they support the bucket 15 in a rearwardly inclined or tilted relation with vrespectto a vertical plane and the front opening 44.

The angular extent of the rearward tilt of the kbucket 15 can be any desired value and is here shown as being approximately live degrees. The purpose of this rearward tilt of the bucket .15 will appear hereinafter. The lower edges of the side walls 41 and '42 of the bucket are preferably provided with concave notches kor Vrecesses 512 at the locations of the spaces 50 between the bars 49, as shown in FIG. 7.

The base 21 of the `frame structure 11 can lbe of any suitable size and shape and is here shown as comprising side members or rails'54 andV 55 in the form of angle bars, and front and rear connecting bars 56 VVand 57 extending-between the side rails and having their ends secured to the latter. The'horizontal anges of the side rails 54 and 55 are secured to the oor byfthe anchor bolts 23. The upright frame members 24 and 25 have their lower ends attached to the side rails 54 and 55, as by welding, and are suitably braced by means of inclined brace members 58. Y

The base 21 also comprises roller means which projects into the enclosure space 40 of the bucket 15 to form a temporary oor for such space when the bucket is.in its loading position shown in'FIGS. 2 and 3. The roller means comprises a group of parallel rollers 60 extending across the lower end of the guideway 12 and Ymounted in the side rails 54 and 55. The rollers 60 are rotatably supported bythe side rails `54 and 55 by having shaft portions 61 mounted in and extending through the vertical legs of such rails.

The spacing of the rollers 60 is related to the spacing of the parallel bars 49 of the bucket 1-5 so that, during downward movement of the bucket to its loading position of FIGS. 2 and 3, the bars will move into the spaces 63 between the adjacent rollers, and conversely, the rollerswill enter the spaces 5t) between the pairs of.bars.- 'Iheend portions of the rollers 60 will be accommodated by the concave notches 52 of the side walls 41 and 42 of the bucket.

When the bucket is in such loading position -it is-sup ported on the floor 21 by the lower edges of the bars l49 resting thereon and, at this time, the top portions ofthe rollers 60 extend above the topsof the bars and project into the enclosure space 40 and formthe above-mentioned temporary floor for the latter. It will now be recognized that in forming such a temporary oor for the enclosure space 40, the tops of the rollers 60 will be engageable by the container 45 as the latter is moved part-way into the access opening 44 of the bucket. The rollers 60 will thereupon act as an antifriction support means for the container 45 by which the container can be easily moved, or will move by reason of its own gravity action, through `the remaining distance into the enclosure space 40.

r.the rollers 60 are mounted in the side rails 54 and V55 so that theirrotation axes lie in a common plane '64 which is inclined downwardly and rearwardly atan angular relation similar to, or the same as, the tops of the bars 49. The tops of the rollers will therefore also liein such a downwardly' and rearwardly inclined plane andthe weight of the container 45 and its contents will usually cause the container to move on its own account the remaining distance into the bucket 15 after the container hasbeen advanced part-way through the front entry opening 44 and engaged with the front rollerror rollers of the group. The container 45 will usually come to rest in an inclined position in engagement with the rear wall 43 of thebucket,.as shown in.FIG.,2. When the `bucket 15 is liftedby theupward movement of the carriage 14, the upper edges of the bars 49 rise above the tops ofthe rollers 60 and, in so doing, engage the lower end of the container 45 to thereby pick up and support the container.

As mentioned above the bucket 15 ispivotally mounted in the carriage 14 andffor this -purpose,- the side walls 41 and 42 areY provided with bearing elements,.in this case pivot. pins or trunnions 65 and 66-.which arepivotallylfreceived in the bearing recesses 36 and 37 of the carriage. The pivot pins 65 andi66 are suitablylattached' to the side walls 41 and 42, v-ashy welding, andl are disposed in a laterally aligned relation on the transverse pivot axis 38. The pivotal mounting of the bucket 15 in the carriagez141thus permits swinging of1the bucket to the tipped orinverted' dumping position 15b, shown in FIG. A1, to thereby dump the contents ofthe container. 45 into the hopper19 when the lift unit 13 has been elevated to thejdesired point .by the hoist device 16.

Swinging of the bucket 15 to its dumping position '15b is accomplished by applying a pulling androtativeforce to the bucket in response to a predetermined extentor portion ofthe lifting movement of the. carriage 14 inthe guideway 12. For the purpose of this swinging actuation of the bucket 15 to its dumping position,.the. elevatormechanism `1() is provided withexible force-transmitting means, in this case chain means.67,.for .applying the pulling and rotative force to the bucket.

The chainmeans .67 is here shown as comprising afpair of chains 67a and.67b located adjacent the frame members 24 and 25 and having their lower ends suitably anchored as by attachment of their lowermost links 68'.to the rear cross member 57 of the base 21. Theupper ends of the chains 67a and 671 areconnectedtothe bucket 115 by means of drums or wheel members 71 and 72 with which the respective chains have a wrapped engagement as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7.

The wheel members 71 and 72 each comprise a curved or circular rim portion 73 and radiating spokes or blades 74 extending between such rim portion and the associated one of pivot pins 65 and 66. The wheel members 71 vand 72 are suitably attached to the side walls 41 and 42 of the bucket 15 and are located thereon so that the curved rim portions 73 extend aroundand arecentered with respect to the common pivot axis 38. The upper endportions 75 of the chains 67a and 67b extend in a wrapped relationV around, or part-way around, the rim portions 73 and have their end links anchored on the latter as by means of anchor bolts 76. The intermediate portions of the Ychains 67a and 67b form vertically extending .reach portions which hang from the rim portions 73 ina tangential relation thereto. l

The chains 67a and 67b.are of alength, in relation to the path of travel of the lift unit 13 along the guideway 12, such that as the carriage 14 arrives at the desired elevation for discharging the contentsof the container 45 into the hopper 19 theslack in the. chains will be taken up and the resulting tensioning of the chains vwill cause them to apply a pulling and rotative force to the bucket 15 through the wheel members 71 and 72, whereby the bucket will be swung about the transverse pivot axis 38 to the inverted or dumping position 15b.

As the bucket 15 swings to the dumping position 15b, the material or articles in the container 45 tlow therefrom through the top opening 46 Vthereof and spill downwardly into the hopper 19. The container 45 is prevented from dropping out of the bucket 15 bya preventer means here shown as comprising a transverse rod 78 inserted through suitable holes 79 provided in the side walls 41 and 42. A group of the holes 79 is provided in such side Walls, with the holes of the group located at dilerent elevations on the bucket 15, so that containers of ditferentheights can be accommodated .in the bucket and the retainer rod' can be inserted in those holes which Ywill locate such rod in a proper holding-relation tothe `top of the container.

The hoist device lis controlled by conventional electric switch means (not shown) suitably located ou or adjacent the frame structure 11 and which preferably includes a time delay relay for automatically delaying the start of the lowering movement of the unit 13 for a suitable time interval to permit the contents of the container 45 to ow therefrom into the hopper 19. l

When the dumping of the bucket 15 has been accomplished, the hoist device v16 is operated in a direction to lower the carriage 13'in the guideway 12 to return the bucket to the loading station adjacent the base 21. During the rst portion of the lowering movement of the unit 13 the bucket 15 thereof is swung in the reverse or counterclockwise direction as seen in FIG. 1, to return the bucket to its upright position in the carriage 14. This return swinging movement of the bucket can be produced by aco-operative engagement of the bucket with a portion of the hopper 19, but the present invention provides a more positive and more satisfactory way of producing this return swinging movement of the bucket.

For the purpose of this return swinging, the bucket 15 is provided with counterweight means comprising bodies 80 of lead or the like mounted in or on the wheel members 71 and 72. The counter-weights 80 are here shown as being sector-shaped bodies located in and substantially lling the lower quadrants 81 of the Wheel members and which quadrants are dened by certain of the spokes 74 and the portions of the rim `members 73 intercepted by such spokes. The counterweights 80 preferably comprise solidified bodies of initially iluid or molten lead or the like which has been poured into the sectors 81 of the wheel members. When thev'counterweights 81 are`in this location they are compactly accommodated and are in a very effective relation to the pivot axis 38. I' As the pulling force of the chains 67a and 67b on the wheel members 71 and 72 is released or removed by the downward movement' of the carriage 14, the counterweights 80 will cause the return or counterclockwise swinging of .the bucket 15: To properly position the bucket 15 in its upright relation, a stop means is provided for limiting the return swinging movement and is here shown as comprising pairs of co-operating stop elements 83 and 84. The stop velements 83 are secured to the lower ends of theV side members 32 and'33 of the carriage 14 vand project into the guideway 12 so that their inner ends lie adjacent'the side walls 41 and 42 of the bucket. -The stop elements 84 are secured to the side walls 41 and y42 and come into engagement with the stop elements 83, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, when the bucket assumes its upright position 15B.

The use of the chains 67Il and 67h, for applying the pulling androtative force to the bucket 15 for swinging the same to its dumping position 15b, results in the advantage that when the carriage'14 is lowered to the loading station adjacent the base 21, the slack portions of the chains will form compact piles 85 adjacent the base and such slack portions will not become spread or scattered about to clutter the door area surrounding the base. When the carriage 14 is a-gain lifted in the guideway 12, the chain piles 85 will be taken up readily without likelihood of the chains becoming tangled or causing personal injury.

The frame structure 11 is shown in FIG. l of the drawings as also comprising columns or posts 87 and transverse beams 88 for supporting the hopper 19. The posts and beams 87 and 88 also provide a bracing and steadying means for the uptight frame members 24 and 25 with which the beams are connected by bolts 89. The hopper 19 is suitably supported on the beams 88 as by means of anges or side rails 90 provided on the hopper.

The posts 87 are spaced from the frame members 24 and 25 to provide therebetween a space or area 91 of appropriate size to accommodate the fabricating machine 18 with which the elevator mechanism is to be used. The beams 88 are of greater length than the width of the space 91, as shown in FIG. 1, and the portions of the beams which are attached to the frame members 24 that this invention provides elevator mechanism ofa simple and practical I:form which will operate eiiicientlyY and with minimum attention and etort on the part of an attendant for lifting, or-lifting and dumping, material or articles to be conveyed or handled, Since many of the important advantages of this novel elevator mechanism have already been pointed out and explained here. inabove, they need not be further summarized at this point.

Although the elevator mechanism of this invention has been illustrated and described herein to a somewhat de-4 tailed extent it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not to be regarded as being' limited correspond? ingly inV scope but includes all changes and modifica tions coming within the terms of the claims hereof. Y

Having thus described our invention, we claim: y l. In elevator mechanism, supportvmeans including a frame structure providing a guideway,lcarriage means movable inV liftingand vlowering directionsV along'said guideway, a holder supported by said carriageffor a pivotal dumping movement, said holder being adaptedto receive material to be conveyed and to discharge such material in response to said dumping movement, means operable to move said carriage means along said guideway, and flexible means of predetermined length con nected with said support means and holder and tensionably eective therebetween to impart said dumping movement to said holder in response to predetermined travel of said carriage means along said guideway in the lifting direction, said ilexible means comprising chain meansV which extends in a substantially upright direction when said predetermined travel of said carriage means in said lifting direction has taken place, said chain means having a self-piling capability and action -for-storage .thereofY in a space of limited area adjacent saidframe structure during the lowering movement of said carriage. p j 2. InY elevator mechanism, support means including a` substantially vertical frame structure providing a guide# way, a carriage movable in lifting and.lowering directions along said guideway, a holder supported by said carriage for a pivotal dumping movement, said holder being adapted to receive material to be conveyed and having a delivery opening for discharge'of saidrnaterial by dumping, means operable to move said carriage along said guideway, and exible means eiective to impart said dumping movement to the holder comprising chain means connected with said support means and holder and being of a length to assume a taut condition in an upright position alongside said frame structure for applying a pulling force to the holder in response to predetermined travel of said carriage along said guidewayin the lifting direction, said chain means having a self-piling capability and action for storage thereof in a space of limited area adjacent said frame structure during the lowering movement of said carriage. 3. In elevator mechanism, a support means including a structure having a guideway thereon, a carriage movable along said guideway in lifting and lowering directions, a holder adapted to receive material to be conveyed and having an upper end provided with a discharge opening, pivot means connecting said holder with said carriage and providing a pvot axis for a swingable dumping movement of said holder relative to said carriage, means ac'- tuatable to move said carriage along said guideway, force transmitting means connected with said support means and extending to said holder, and connecting means'con-V necting said transmitting means with said holder in a lever arm relation to said axis whereby said transmitting' 7 meansiseffective-to apply a tipping `vforce' to saidl holder in jresponse to predetermined Amovement Yof said carriage along 'said guideway, said carriage along said guideway inthe lifting direction, said connecting means vcomprising curved surface means Ydisposed in at least a partially surroundingrelationto said pivot axis and said transmitting-means'comprising chain means having one end thereof in wrappedengagement withk said curved-surface meansand its other-end anchored on said support means, said chainmeansbeing of a length to be tensioned by said predetermined',movementof said carriage in said lifting direction, said chain means having a self-piling capability and action for-storage thereof in a space of limited area adjacent jsaid structure during the lowering movement of said carriage.

4. In elevatormechanism, a support structure having upright guide means thereon, a carriage movable in an upwarddirection along the guide means byV a lifting force applied tothe carriage and'being lowerable in the opposite direction, means for applyingv such lifting force to said carriage, a holder adapted to receive material to be lifted and'having an upper end provided with a discharge openngLpivot means connecting said holder .with said carriage "and providing a transverse pivot axis for a swingable dumping movement of, said holder relative to said carriage, curved means connected with said'holder and extending circumferentially around said pivot axis, and'chain means effective to apply a pulling and rotative force to said holder through said curved means'for producing said swingable dumping movement, said wchain means having the lower end portion thereof anchored on said structure and having upper end portions .thereof in wrapped engagement with said curved means, said chain means being of a length to assume a itaut condition in an .upright position adjacent said guidemeans when said carriage has'been moved `for a predetermined distance in said Vupward direction and having a self-piling capability and actionfor storage'thereof in a space oflinn'ted area adjacent the'lower end of saidguide means during the lowering yof vsaid carriage.

i5.jElevator mechanism as dened in claim 4 wherein sad'holder has uprightside and rear walls defining an enclosure'space and is open atthe front thereof for movement `of an .open-top container rinto and out of .said enclosure space, .and wherein .retainer means connected with said'holder and co-operable with said container -re tanins the latter'in said Yenclosure space duringsaid dumping movement, said Yside walls having holes thereinat differentlocations andrsaid retainer means comprising a rod removably received in certain of said holes and eX- tending across the top' of the container. j

f6, jIn elevator mechanism, a support structure rincludingabase and upright guide means, Yroller means lonV said base, alift unit movable 'along said guide means and inf clnding Aa holder'having an enclosure space adapted to receive aibodyto be'lifted and a frontQopening for movement. of said body into said space, and means for applying .aliftingi-force to `said Vlift unit, said holder having a loading position adjacent said Ybase and being provided with opening means kat the 'bottom thereof, portions Yof said roller means lprojectinginto said space throughsaid qpeningvrneans for supporting engagement with said body when ,said'holder is in Y said loading position.

7,'. Elevator mechanism as defined in claim 6 wherein said holder has `faslotted oor -means and said roller means comprisesa group of parallel rollers, top portions of ,said rollers projecting `into said space through the slots .of .said oormeans-,when said V holder is-in said loadills positionl l8. 2E1evator :mechanism yas defined in claim 6 wherein said;rpll er means ,comprises `a group of space-apart parallel'trollers fand said .holder hastloor means comprising spaeedeapart parallel '-.bars movable into the spaces between said .rollers when .-said'fholder is Ain said Vloading po- 7i8 sition,1.topI portionsofsaid rollers projecting intosaidenclosure spacethrough the spaces Ybetween -Said bars. I

9. `'lilevatormechanism las defined-in claim vwherein said -roller meanscoizuprises a'group of parallel rollers disposed so thatthe top portions'thereof lie in a vplane sloping downwardly and rearwardly Vwith-respect to Sad front opening.

10.` In elevator mechanism, aV support Ystructure 4includingl abase and upright guidemeans, roller Ameans rotatably Vmounted on said base, Va liftiunit comprising aicarriage and a bucketvpivotally connected withrsaid carriage for swinging froma-substantially upright position lto 'a tilted dumpinglposition Yand vice-versasaid carriagebeing movable alongsaid guideway for elevating'said bucket to a dumpingstationfand Afor lowering said bucket to a loading -station adjacent said base, said buckethaving an enclosure space adapted toV receivea body to be lifted and va-'frontvopening for movement of said'body into said space, and means-forapplying a liftingl force to said carriage, said bucket having opening means in :the bottom portion thereof Afor receiving said roller ,means withthe top portions of the latter projecting into said space when saidfbucket is at Ysaidnloading station, said roller means forming va temporary 'support for rollably receiving said body thereon when said bucket is Aat said loading station.

1l. Elevator mechanism as delined in claim 10 wherein `counterweight means acting on saidybucket imparts return swinging movementthereto and biases thegsame toward said upright position,and wherein co-operating st op elements on said carriage and bucket limit the return swinging movement for locating said yopening means in registering alignment with said roller means.

12. lnelevator mechanism, upright guide means, post l means lspaced from said guide means, a lift unit .comprising a carriage movable along said guide means and a bucket snpported` Yby said carriage andadapted to receive material to be lifted, pivot means connecting said bucket with said carriage andproviding for swinging of the bucket from a substantially upright position to inverted dumping position, means actuatable for lifting and lowering said carriage, curved means Vvconnected with ksaid bucket and extending at least part way around theaxis of lsaid pivot means, pullingforce transmitting exible means havingsa wrapped engagement. with `said curved means lfor causing swinging of saidbucket to said. dumping position, hopper means Alocated to receive the material dumped fromsaid-bucket, anchor means 'having the` lower end portion of said exiblemeans connected therewith, said flexible means comprising chain means of a length to .assume la taut condition in an Vupright position adjacent said guide meansfor applying .a pullingfforceto said bucket upon movement .of said ,carriager to a position adjacent saidhoppermeans, said `chain means having Va self-piling capability and action (for storage thereof adjacent the lower end 4ofsaid guide` means during lowering of said carriage, 1 and beam means Vconnected with Ysaid guidemeansand post .means and suppQrting Asaidhopper meanss aid beam, means being of greater length than the width'of thezspace between 4saidgnidenieans and-.Post means, the connection of said beam means with one of the two means gomprising said guide means'pand post means being an adjustable connection ^f orvarying the width ofsaidispace.` Y

13. A Ylifting ,bucket for usen elevator Ymechanism of the character described, comprising ,connected upright side and .rear walls deiining an ,enclosure ,space for receiving a body to bejlilfted, ,saidlbucketrbeingopen Vat Vthe fr ont sidethereof for 1movement of saidbody into said enclosure space, and a group of spaced-apart edgewiseupright parallel transverse bars connected 4withsaid vside -wallsand forming the bottom portion of said bucket, said bars havingtheirlower edges disposed in a common horizontal plane and engageable with .a supportsurface -or floor yfor standing'the bucketthere'on and said'bars being of progressively decreasing `-height from front-to-rear of the bucket for positioning the bucket in a rearwardly tilted position relative to the front opening, the upper edge portions of said bars being disposed in a second common plane and forming a rearwardly and downwardly inclined support means adapted to receive and support said body thereon.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 552,476 Johnson Dec. 31, 1895 10 Case Oct. 28, 1924 Schlich Apr. 14, 1925 Galloway et al Sept. 12, 1950 Eaddy Nov. 6, 1951 Hought Mar. 2, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Austria Mar. 26, 1956 

